Home Depot & Whole Foods Partner with ATL Non profit to Donate a School Garden

Live Healthy & Thrive Youth Foundation will donate a garden to TAG Academy in Atlanta with support of local retailers.

ATLANTA - GeorgiaChron -- The Live Healthy & Thrive Youth Foundation (LHTYF) will partner with Home Depot and Whole Foods on the 9th Annual Gardens Are For Kids project at Tuskegee Airman Global Academy Thursday, October 10 in Fulton County, GA. The project is designed to educate and empower children to make healthier food choices, avoid unhealthy foods and learn about agriculture.

The Gardens Are For Kids program focuses on assisting schools in food deserts by providing practical lessons on the importance of incorporating fresh foods for a healthy diet. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines Food Deserts as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States. For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and has affected about 12.7 million children and adolescents over the past decade.

"We want to give children a proper foundation for how to grow, nurture and maintain vegetable plants as well as teach them sustainable practices to lead healthier lifestyles." said Lori A. Manns, President of Live Healthy & Thrive Youth Foundation, Inc.

The Home Depot and Whole Foods partnered with LHTYF this year as a sponsor of the garden project which is provided free to Atlanta area schools.

Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy (TAG Academy) is a part of the Atlanta Public School System. TAG Academy is committed to empowering students with the confidence, social skills and intellectual capacity required to successfully thrive and compete in the global marketplace. At TAG Academy, they believe every student has the potential to succeed, and are dedicated to making a difference in children's lives by encouraging them to open their minds to learning, discovery and achievement.

LHTYF was established in 2010 to teach kids healthy lifestyle habits and encourage active involvement of parents in the metro Atlanta area regarding the health and wellness of their children. The mission of Live Healthy & Thrive Youth Foundation is to educate, activate, motivate and empower youth in the areas of academic achievement, health, nutrition, fitness and total wellness. LHTYF exists to educate children on healthy lifestyle habits so they are more likely to avoid obesity, diabetes and hypertension. http://www.livehealthyandthriveyouth.org